As you look to build a successful business, you’ll no doubt be looking for some easy ways you can boost the profile of your company and make a great first impression on potential clients and partners. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of small things you can implement to make a big difference to your corporate image. Let’s get started.
1. Use a professional email address
Having a Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email address is fine for personal use, but when it comes to your business, you must have a professional email address (such as yourname@businessname.com). Anything else, and your business will look either brand new or worse, amateur.
A business email address will project professionalism, allude to large team size (even if you’re operating alone), and help you build up brand awareness.
Domain name providers such as names.co.uk can set you up with a specialist email address for as little as £1 per month, and these often come with anti-virus measures, calendar functionality, the option to add new email addresses as your team grows, and other extras.
2. Ensure your phone calls are always answered
As a business owner, there will be periods when you’re too busy or simply not available to pick up the phone.
Not only can this result in lost business, as the caller may look elsewhere, but it also suggests that your business is stretched too thin and not coping with demand – providing the caller with another reason to contact an alternative provider.
Fortunately, a phone answering service can provide you with trained receptionists who answer phone calls on your behalf.
Services differ slightly depending on the provider, but generally calls are answered in your company name and then either diverted to you, or if you’re unavailable, messages can be taken and then passed on.
With Bizik’s Telephone Answering Service, you’ll never miss a call again. The trained receptionists will make your business appear bigger than it is, and you can get a professional London or regional phone number for your business, further boosting your corporate image.
3. Set up a Google Business Profile
If your business has a shopfront or makes any other form of in-person contact with customers, you can control the way your business is shown on Google Maps (and to some extent Google Search) by setting up a free Google Business Profile.
This enhances how visible your business is online, and demonstrates to customers that you are a legitimate and competent company. Through your profile, you can answer public questions, talk to customers privately, respond to reviews, advertise your services, add photos, manage your contact information and opening hours, and more.
To see what this looks like, Google a business local to you that has a shopfront. Provided they have set up their Google profile, you’ll see it on the right hand of the results page (or, if using mobile, just scroll down). Find out more about setting up a Google Business Profile now.
As well as managing how you appear on Google, you should also increase your business’s profile by getting listed on appropriate directory sites such as Yell.com and Checkatrade.
4. Base your business in a great location
Whether you like it or not, people will initially judge your business and the quality of service that you may provide by the location where your business is based. For example, if you’re obviously operating from home, people may perceive you as a novice, or if you’re located in an infamous part of town, people may think you’re untrustworthy.
Of course, you can’t simply relocate your business to a more esteemed location. However, if you’re operating an online business, or any other form of business where you don’t need to see customers face-to-face, you can improve the image that your business projects by using an address service.
Here’s how our address services work:
Registered Office Address Services – If you’re operating your business as a limited company, your company will have a registered office address. This is the business’s official address and where government departments such as Companies House, HMRC, and the Information Commissioner’s Officer will send their correspondence. This address is made viewable to the public for free to anyone who is interested through the Companies House public register.
With our Registered Office Services, you can use our Covent Garden (London) or Bath Street (Glasgow) addresses as your company’s registered office, which will help your business make a professional corporate impression and protect your own address from the public register.
Business Address Service – All businesses will need to provide an address to their contacts where correspondence can be sent. Typically this would be published on the business’s website and other marketing materials.
With our Business Address Services, we give you permission to use our Covent Garden or Bath Street addresses as your company’s mailing address.
When mail arrives at our offices, we then open, scan, and email it to you. Any items of value, such as bank cards, will be forwarded to an address of your choice by Royal Mail 1st Class post anywhere in the world.
Again, this can play a pivotal role in enhancing your corporate image, as your contacts will believe you are based in a prestigious location.
5. Encourage customer reviews
As a small business owner, it’s understandable if you’re wary of reviews, as negative public feedback can obviously have a detrimental effect on new business coming in. However, another thing that’s alarming to potential customers is a dearth of reviews – as this can make you look ‘small-time’ – so you need to take steps to bolster the number of online reviews you have.
Once you’re satisfied that you are delivering a brilliant service and have built up a loyal following of happy customers, take a proactive approach to reviews by signing up to platforms such as Trustpilot and Feefo, and encourage your customers (via dedicated email campaigns) to leave reviews there, as well as on your Google Business Profile.
Provided that you deal with any negative reviews appropriately, you will be able to impress possible clients with the amazing feedback you have received, and the sheer number of reviews your business has.
Thanks for reading
So there you have it, 5 small things to make a big difference to your corporate image. Make an immediate positive impact on your business’s public profile, and put some of these into action today. We hope you have found this article useful. Please leave a comment if you have any questions.
